Page 56 of Wicked Player

I’d waited long enough. And patience had never been my strong suit.

I arched into him, buckles and straps clanking as I jerked toward him.

“Ah, ah eh,” Gage teased, his lips were at my hips. Kissing my hip bones. My stomach. His hands followed, thumbs swiping at my core and sending a jolt of pleasure through me. “Stay here like a good girl and take what I give you and I promise you’ll have everything you need.”

He slid his fingers through my center, already wet and ready for him. “Oh. Look at you. Was it watching the couple that got you this wet or was it me?”

It’d been thinking of him looking at me like that man had worshipped his woman that had started all of it. “You,” I breathed, as he slid two fingers slowly into me. “It was you.”

His mouth hit my ear, his fingers crooked inside of me. My pulsed race, my breathing went ragged. “Oh God,” I gasped, my head fell forward. At some point, he’d shed his shirt and my forehead pressed to the hardened curve of his chest.

“I love how easily you’re turned on. How wet you get for me. How much you want it all the time.” He slid his fingers in and out of me, teasing me with his words and his touch and the slick skin on his chest. “I also like that with you here, I could torture and tease you for hours, but we don’t have all night do we?”

We didn’t? I’d take all night with him. He kissed me. Slid his tongue into my waiting mouth. He tasted like heaven and hope, promises fueled by secrets. I came while he devoured my mouth, gasping and finding the peak, leaping freely.

“You’re beautiful when you come,” he whispered. His lips were lifted into a grin, pressing to the corner of my cheek. “And as much as I’d like to keep you here for hours, I also want to feel you against me. Let’s save this fun for another day, shall we?”

“Yes. I’d like that.”

And perhaps next time, I’d be able to see his face when he made me come instead of relying solely on my imagination.

* * *

Amanda clinkedher glass against mine. “Talk.”

“Hmm?”

I’d gotten out of calling off our drinks the other night, but now it was Thursday Happy Hour, and I had no excuse to get out of drinks with her or her persistent questions.

It was part of what made her a good reporter. It was part of why having reporters as friends totally sucked.

Plus, I wasn’t going to say no. Not after the morning I spent at the hospital. They’d opened up the new wing as a soft opening for only the current patients and their families to enjoy. The official opening was set for next week on the Rough Riders’ bye week. But that morning, I’d spent three hours talking to families, my heart splintering more and more throughout the day as each story made its way not only to my notebook and tablet but to my heart. I alternated between wanting to break down and cry with many of the parents, craving to wrap the kids in healing hugs, and avoiding Gage at all costs.

That alone had taken so much effort, I was exhausted.

I usually had much more fun than I was having that day.

My head was in the clouds. Amanda noticing wasn’t surprising. It also didn’t surprise me she called me on it. That was Amanda. Brash and bold, beautiful with blazing red hair. Amanda was essentially every good word that started with the letter B combined into one human. And yes, bitch was a compliment when used appropriately.

But good Lord I did not want to talk about what was on my mind.

I was sleeping with Gage Bryant.

Correction: Gage Bryant was fucking me and I was falling in love with him when we hadn’t acknowledged we even knew each other. If there was a picture in the dictionary of “girls who make the worst decisions of men to fall in love with,” mine would be plastered in a full page spread in bright, vivid colors.

This was worse than selfish Connor thinking he could use me, toss me aside, and pick me back up again when his new toy lost her shine.

Gage had a power over me that was different than the rest. I was falling for him despite the risks. His heart with the children. His entire life story. His focus. His character.

And I hadn’t even seen his face while we were fucking. How screwed up was I?

“Earth to Beth.”

I blinked. Amanda was waving her hand in front of my face giving me crazy eyes.

“Okay. There’s a guy I like. It’s new. And it’s uncertain. So no, I don’t want to talk about it more but I’m just going to say what I do like is good. Really, really good.”

And scary as hell.

---